Wake Up
by Leo's gurl
Summary: After an accident that left one of his brothers in a coma, Mikey is left to wonder if the others are better off without him.
1. Chapter 1

Wake Up

"Mikey what are you still doing in here?" asked Raph when he saw his younger brother in the chair next to Leo's bedside.

"I want to be here." He said without looking at Raph.

"You know that Master Splinter said he probably won't wake up for a while." Said Raph placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. He felt it trembling and he knew what Mikey was thinking.

"Now don't go all soft on me. You know this wasn't your fault." He said trying to comfort his brother.

"It is to my fault!" cried Mikey in an outburst. Raph was taken back. "Mikey…" he said but Mikey wouldn't let him finish.  
"It was my fault that Leo is hurt. All because I didn't watch my back." He said punching the wall. Raph shook his head in disbelief. "Mikey you can't beat yourself up like this is that what Leo would want?"

Mikey looked down at his sleeping brother. He was silent for a moment but then he shook his head. "No." he said softly. "Then quit beating yourself up." "But…" "No buts Mikey, do it for Leo." Mikey sighed. "Oh alright." He said taking up his chair again. After a moment of silence Raph cleared his throat. "So you coming to bed or not." Mikey shook his head. "I'll stay with Leo if that's alright." He whispered. Raph shook his head. "Alright but do me a favor and _try _to get some sleep." "Okay." Raph smiled and then walked out the door. As soon as Raph left, he took his brother's hand in his. "Don't worry Leo, I'm here. I'm here."


	2. Chapter 2

A week had past and there was still no sign of life in Leo's still form. Mikey never left his brother's side except to go to the bathroom. But other than that, he practically lived in Leo's room. One day while Mikey was watching over Leo, he thought he saw his brother move his head.

"Leo…" Mikey said, hoping that his older brother would hear him. But Leo made no reply and Mikey's spirits dropped and he quietly sat down in the chair. He sighed. Now he knew how Master Splinter felt.

"Leo, I just want you to know that I am sorry for this. I was such an idiot thinking that I could actually be helpful."

Silence

Mikey took a breath and slid into the chair. For the past week he hadn't been getting a decent nights sleep and it was catching up with him. He felt his eyelids droop and the last thing he saw before he fell asleep was his brother's sleeping form.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When Mikey awoke, he slowly rubbed the sleep from his eyes and turned his attention to where Leo was supposed to be recovering. He nearly fell out of his chair when he saw that Leo was missing. "Leo!" he cried, jumping out of his chair. He ran all around Leo's room, turning everything upside down, in a crazy attempt to find his eldest brother. He quickly ran out of Leo's room in search of the rest of the family. He found them sitting at the table eating breakfast. He went to say something to Master Splinter but his mouth nearly dropped when he saw who was sitting next to him. It was Leo. Mikey's mouth nearly dropped and Leo turned toward him, a smile on his face.

"Come on Mikey your breakfast is getting cold." he said, lifting up a piece of breakfast pizza.

"Leo...you're alright..." said Mikey, dumbfounded. Leo gave him a confused look.  
"Umm...last I checked...yes." said Leo watching Mikey look him over.

"But how? The foot ninja and the roof...and...and..." Mikey stopped in mid-rant when he saw the calander. His blood nearly froze when he saw the date.

'April 11th, 2004.' thought Mikey to himself. 'The fight hasn't happened yet.'

"Hello Earth to Mikey." came Raph's voice through Mikey's thoughts. Mikey shook his head.  
"What?"

"You better sit down and eat your pizza before I shove it down your throat."

"Oh." said Mikey taking a seat next to Don. Raph layed the pizza down in front of him and returned to his oatmeal. While they eat, they couldn't help notice that Mikey wasn't scarfing down his pizza in a single bite. Instead he played around with it.

"Umm are you feeling okay Mikey?" asked Don looking at his youngest brother. Mikey mumbled yes and continued picking at his pizza. The others gave looks of concern.

"Michalangelo do you not like your breakfast?" asked Splinter placing a hand on Mikey's shoulder.

"It's not the pizza Master Slpinter." he said sorrowfully.

"Then what is it my son?"

Mikey looked over at Leo and then back to Master Splinter.

"May I talk to you in private?" he asked.

"Of course."

Mikey got up from his chair and headed towards the meditation room. Master Splinter followed and when they were alone and out of earshot, Mikey broke down.  
"Master Splinter, Leo's going to get hurt today and it's all my fault." he said covering his face with his hands. Master Splinter looked at his with confusion and intrest.

"There is going to be a huge fight on top of a building and I'm going to try and help Leo only to get in the way! And then...then..." Mikey shook his head. He remembered Leo pushing him out of the way and then falling over the side of the building. He couldn't get the look on Leo's face out of his mind. Mikey was snapped out of his night mare when Master Splinter gave him a tight embrace.

"Master Splinter?"

"My son, if what you say is true then there might be a way to prevent it from happening." he said.

"But how?" asked Mikey hopeful.

"The past may be rewritten if a brave and couragous warrior steps up and faces his fears."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Mikey pushing away from Master Splinter's embrace.

"You'll know when the time is right. Now how about eating your breakfast?" asked Master Splinter placing an arm around Mikey's shoulder.

"Okay. Thank you sensay." he said walking with his Master towards the breakfast table where the rest of the family was waiting.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was the slowest day of Mikey's life. It was like watching history repeat itself...literally. He watched as Leo and Raph fought over the dishes...again. It was funny. Mikey knew every word before his brothers spoke them and he knew that in the end, Master Splinter would stop the argument by making them do 20 flips each. He was right. Master Splinter came in and lectured his two oldest brothers about how it is important to set a good example for their little brothers. Mikey shook his head and turned away from the lecture. He was still thinking of a plan to stop his brothers from going topside. Maybe if he told Master Splinter...Mikey shook his head. He couldn't do that. It would get his brothers into trouble and he certinly didn't want that. Mikey banged his fists on the table. 'Man! The one time I need to think, I come up with nothing!' he thought to himself. Unknown to Mikey, the rest of his family was watching his actions.  
"Hey Mikey, are you feeling okay?" asked Don, taking a seat next to him.

"I'm fine...I just need to be alone." said Mikey standing up pushing the chair in.

"Well if you need us, we'll be right here." said Leo placing his hand on Mikey's shoulder.

Mikey just shrugged it off and headed towards his room. The others watched his retreating form and then turned to each other.

"What's wrong with Mikey today?" asked Don to Leo.

"I have no idea. He's been acting this way since he saw me at breakfast." said Leo, looking over towards Mikey's room.

"Hey, it's Mikey. Whatever it is, I'm sure that he'll eventually tell us what's buggin' him." said Raph, taking a sip of coffee.

"Still something doesn't feel right." said Leo, rubbing his chin.

"Just let Mikey be alone man. He'll be alright."  
Leo just nodded and then turned his attention back to where his brother had left. 'What's making you act this way Mikey.' he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Mikey was staring at the ceiling of his room.

'Oh man why can't I have Don's brain for just one minute. I'm sure his brain could think of something in a situation like this.' thought Mikey, covering his face with one arm. Images flashed through the darkness of his mind. Mikey, slammed to the ground,Leo protectiong him, Hun grabbing Leo by the shell and throwing him off the building...Mikey bolted straight up in bed. He was gasping for breath and sweat ran down the side of his face. He sat there for a minute, just trying to catch his breath. He then looked over at the picture sitting on top of his dresser. He walked over and picked it up. It was a picture that April decided to take so that they might have a family picture. Needless to say that the picture didn't quite turn out the way she had planned. In the picture, Raph was threatening to punch Don, Don was trying to protecting himself, Master Splinter giving Raph 'the eye' and Mikey was sitting cross legged with Leo behind him with his arms draped over Mikey's shoulders. Mikey liked this picture because it is the only one where Leo is actually smiling. Mikey stared at the picture and then sighed. "Man, I can't believe that I could cause so much pain to the one person I look up to." said Mikey, to no one in particular. Unknown to Mikey, Leo was outside the door. He was about to knock when he heard Mikey talking to himself. "Maybe things would be better if I was the one who ended up in a coma and not Leo. I mean without Leo, we can't function. But without me..." Mikey shook his head. He knew that Leo was the most important thing to him and he wasn't about to let him slip away. Mikey walked over to his mirror and took a look. What he saw made him angry. He saw a coward. Someone who needed to be protected. Someone who got other people hurt. Mikey clenched his fists. Well tonight was going to be different. Tonight, he would step up to the plate and prove everybody else wrong including himself. Mikey brought back his fist and smashed the mirror. The glass stung Mikey's hand and blood ran over the tiny shards. But Mikey paid no attention. He had on thing on his mind and that was to protect his big brother at any cost.

To be continued...

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get the chapter up. Thanks for all of your support and understanding. In the next chapter I promise that there will be more action.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Mikey was nervous. It was the fated night and he and his brothers were jumping from rooftop to rooftop in the darkened night. Mikey shivered. He knew that any minute now, the Foot would come out of nowhere and attack. Mikey, looked up ahead of him and saw his two oldest brothers in the lead. He decided he had to try one more time in convincing his brothers to return to the lair.

"You know, I heard that we are supposed to get one shell of a storm tonight. So how about turning around and go back to the lair." Mikey called up to his brothers. Leo and Raph stopped.

"Come on Mikey, a little rain never killed anybody." said Raph. Mikey clenched his fists.

"Besides think of this as a once in a lifetime oppurtunity." said Leo, trying to prevent a fight.

'Yeah a once in a lifetime oppurtunity to see your big brother nearly parish.' thought Mikey to himself.

"How's your hand." asked Leo, trying to change the subject. Mikey looked down at his now bandaged hand.

"It's fine." said Mikey, turning his back to Leo. The others looked at each other with concern.

"I still don't understand how you managed to break your mirror." said Raph, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I said it was an accident. I just tripped. That's all." Don shook his head.

"I'm afraid that that is very unlikely. If you tripped, then you would have cuts on your palms instead of all over your hand."

Mikey growled.

"You know what, your right. I didn't trip. I punched the mirror and it broke." His brothers looked at him in shock.

"But why Mikey?" asked Don, taking a step towards his brother. But before Mikey could answer, a shuriken came whizzing by Mikey's face. It missed him by inches and buried itself in a brick chimney.

'Oh no!' thought Mikey, turning towards the source of the shuriken. There hidden in the shadows were at least twenty foot ninjas. They had their weapons drawn and they were ready for a fight.

"Great! Now we can get some real training in." said Raph, drawing his sais. Leo and Don followed his lead but Mikey just stood there, frozen in fear.

"Hey shell for brains draw your weapons!" yelled Raph, charging the Foot.

Mikey shook his head. Raph's yelling had snapped him out of his trance. He pulled out his weapons just in time for a Foot ninja with a katana came charging. As the fight began, the thunder roared in the distance, and the rain came pouring down. As Mikey was fighting, he saw Leo out of the corner of his eye. He was fighting five ninja and they still couldn't lay a hand on him. One of the ninjas had nunchucks and was trying to hit Leo. It was pointless. Leo dodged the two nunchucks and kicked the ninja in the stomach and sent him flying. He then turned his attention back to the four remaining ninja. Mikey was snapped back to attention, when the ninja he was fighting, slipped past his defenses and slashed his left shoulder. Mikey cried out in pain and clutched his now bleeding shoulder.

"Mikey!" called Leo to his injured brother. He knocked out the remaining ninjas and flipped over to his brother. He landed in front of Mikey, who was kneeling, with his arms in a defensive pose.

"You want him? Then you have to go through me." he said to the ninja. The ninja seemed amused. He wiped the blood off his sword and took his fighting stance. Leo frowned.  
"Leo, please don't." pleaded MIkey. By this time, the thunder had gotten louder and the lightning flashed with ferocity.

"I'm sorry Mikey. I can't let you get hurt anymore!" said Leo charging the ninja. Mikey's eyes filled up with tears.

"Leo!" he cried, watching his big brother fighting for his saftey. Mikey tried to stand but the pain in his shoulder was unbeariable. He fell right back to his knees. Mikey remembered this part all to well. This is where Leo would pay for Mikey's incompetance. Mikey watched in horror as the ninja moved his brother closer and closer to the edge of the building.'Oh man. Leo's going to pay for my mistakes again! Man what would Master Splinter do?' As Mikey thought about this, lightning danced across the sky and when Mikey looked up, he knew what he had to do. Meanwhile, the ninja had managed to back Leo to the edge of the building. Leo took a step back and realized that there was nowhere to back off to. He nearly lost his balance and teetered on the edge for a moment. He quickly regained balance but was still in a dangerous posistion. The ninja smiled under his mask and brought up his sword to make the final blow. Lightning striked and the sword was brought down. Leo closed his eyes for the end but instead of feeling the steel blade, he felt two strong hands push him out of the way. He opened his eyes just in time to see Mikey take the blow of the sword and go falling over the edge. Before he was completely over, Leo thought he saw Mikey smile. Then Mikey disappeared.  
"MIKEY!"

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT.

"Mikey!" Leo's cry rang through the dark and stormy night. He started to run to the edge of the roof when the ninja stopped him. "Get out of my way." said Leo, pulling out his katanas. The ninja shook his finger. "I'm afraid I can't do that." he said casually. "And why is that?" asked Leo, through gritted teeth. "You'll see soon enough." said the ninja pulling out his sword. Leo shook his head. He didn't have time for this, His little brother needed him and he wasn't about to let him down. Leo studied the ninja and decided the best way to take him down was to distract and then strike.

"Why did you attack us?" asked Leo circling the ninja.

"We have our orders." said the ninja, watching Leo.

"Let me guess...Shredder." The ninja nodded. "Figures." Leo then charged the ninja head on. The ninja seemed to be one step ahead of Leo and dodged his assault. He then peered over the edge of the building. He smiled.

'What is he looking at?" thought Leo to himself. 'And why does he keep looking over the edge of the building. Suddenly it hit Leo like a wound to the heart. The ninja was only a distraction. The real target wasn't him it was...

"Mikey!" said Leo in shock. The ninja turned to face him.

"So you figured it out reptile."

"You creep! What do you want with Mikey?"

"The turtle's use will be made clear soon enough." Leo gripped his katanas and gritted his teeth. Deep down inside, all the rage he was feeling, burst. In a speedy blur, Leo charged the ninja and stabbed him through the stomach with one of his katanas. The ninja had a look of surprise on his face and he bagan to cough up blood. Leo pulled out the katana and stood there for a moment.

"Never mess with my family or you will have to answer to me." said Leo angerly. The ninja stared at him for a moment before falling to the ground dead. Leo wiped of his katanas and quickly sheathed them. He then ran to the side of the roof. He peered down and what he saw, made his blood run cold. Hun was standing in the alley way. Across one of his strong shoulders, was Mikey,  
"Mikey!" Leo ran to the nearest fire escape and ran as fast as he could. As he was running, Leo heard the sound of a car starting up. This made Leo run even faster and when he finally made it down to the alley, he saw Hun getting into an old black car with Mikey. Leo pulled out his katanas and was ready to charge the vehical when the driver put on the high beams, blinding him. Leo covered his eyes and heard the car start to move. He barely had enough time to dodge the sppeding car. He rolled onto the side of the alley and shook his head. He looked around and saw that the car was gone.

Leo stood there for a moment, in the pouring rain when he dropped to his knees. His katanas fell from his hands and he kneeled there in the alley with a look of hurt and defeat in his eyes. Then, he took his fists and started to pound the ground in frustration. 'Mikey... Mikey...Mikey!" he sobbed, pounding even harder. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Leo stopped and looked up. There he saw Don and Raph.

"Leo calm down!" said Donatello gently shaking Leo's shoulders. Leo looked up at him with tear filled eyes.

"Where the shell is Mikey?" asked Raph, looking around the trash skewn alley way. Leo shook his head. "They...they took him." Don gasped in shock and Raph clenched his fists.  
"What!" he yelled in rage. He pushed Don out of the way and grabbed Leo's arms.

"You mean to tell me that you just let them take Mikey?"  
"I couldn't do anything Raph. The ninja was blocking the..." POW. Leo reeled back into Don's arms. Raph had his arm ready for another punch.

"Don't sit there and tell me that there was nothing you could do! You are our 'Fearless Leader' which means that you have to protect us. _You _are the one to make sure that we never fall apart. Well it appears that you aren't the great leader that you thought you were."  
"That's enough Raph." said Don standing in front of Leo, trying to protect him from Raph's insults. "What it's the truth! He can't even lead us through one battle without losing someone."

"But Raph..."

"No buts. Now one of my brothers is in the hands of Shredder and I intend to get him back." said Raph, turning his back on Don and Leo, and heading towards the entrance of the alley.

"Wait. We need to work together if we want to save Mikey." said Don trying to keep his family together.  
"Well you know what maybe if our 'fearless leader' would get off of his shell and do something, maybe I would stay but that ain't ever goin' to happen so I'm goin' alone."

"Raph please stay!" pleaded Don. Raph stopped and turned around.

"I already lost my baby brother I don't want to lose one of my older brothers too." Raph could see the tears in Don's eyes and he sighed.  
"Fine I'll stay but only for you and Mikey." said Raph, rubbing Don's head. Don laughed. Raph then turned to look at Leo.

"Come on... we got a brother to save." Leo looked up at him.  
"Together." Leo smiled and Raph offered him a hand up. Leo grabbed the hand and Raph pulled him up. The trio then turned their sights to the rising sun. They were going to rescue the thing that meant the most to them. They were going to rescue their precious little brother.

To Be Continued...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

"What is it Hun?" asked Shredder, without even turning around. "We have the turtle called Michaelangelo.

Just as you requested." "Excellent." said Shredder turning to face Hun. In Hun's massive arms, was Mikey,

unconscious and bleeding heavely from a wound to his shoulder and a cut on his forehead. Shreder walked over

and looked down at Mikey's still form.

"He will be the bait for the others. Make sure that our guest is comfortable Hun." said Shredder, giving Hun an evil

smile. Hun returned the smile and carelessly threw Mikey over his shoulder. He knew exactly where they were

going to go.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Meanwhile, back at the lair, the turtles had just explained to Master Splinter what had happened that

night. Master Splinter waited until they had finished before he spoke.

"This is most troubling news." he said, looking at each of his sons. He noticed that they all had the same look in

their eyes, failure. There was a moment of silence before Raph spoke.

"I say we go to Shedder's lair and get back our brother." he said, pounding his fist into his hand.

"While that is a good plan my son, you have no leader to lead you."

All eyes turned to Leo, who was staring down at the ground.

"Leonardo..." Slowly, Leo looked up.

"I know that you are blaming yourself for this situation but I am telling you that it wasn't your fault."

Leo just stared at Master Splinter.

"Come on Leo, we need you to lead us. Its the only way we can save Mikey." said Don, placing a hand on

Leo's shoulder.

"Why? Why do you want me to lead?" asked Leo, glumly. Don smiled.

"Because we trust you Leo. _You_ are _our_ big brother. _You_ are the one that all of us want to be." Leo looked up

at him confused. Don stood up and stuck out his hand.

"For Mikey..." he said. Raph smiled and placed his hand on top of Don's.

"For Mikey..." The two then looked over at Leo. he looked at them for a moment before smiling. "For Mikey."

he said, adding his hand to the top of the pile. Splinter watched on and a small smile tugged at the corner of

his mouth. His sons had finally discovered what the true meaning of family really meant.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

At Shredder's Lair

"Is everything ready?" asked Shredder, walking into the room where Hun was. Hun tightened the shackles on

Mikey's arms and stood up. "Everything is ready Master." he said bowing. "Good. Those freaks are going to

be here any moment and when they do, we'll be ready for them." He started to laugh evilly and Hun joined him.

Unknown to them both, the turtles were closer than they thought. Outside, leo, Raph, and Don, were scaling the

walls of Shredder's hideout. They climbed to the highest window, and entered the lair. It was dark and silent.

The brothers looked around and saw a dim light at the end of the corridor. Leo motioned for his brothers to stay

behind him as they creapt towards the light. The light was coming from a half opened door and Leo cautiously

peeked through the crack. He gasped at what he saw. His littlest brother was shackled to the stone wall with his

head drooped to one side. Blood covered his face and left shoulder. Leo looked back at his brothers and

nodded. Raph and Don understood and silently pulled out their weapons. Leo drew his katanas, and kicked

down the door. They then charged into the room. Juat as Leo predicted, there was an ambush waiting for them.

About twenty foot dropped from the ceiling and landed in front of Mikey with their weapons drawn. The

two groups then charged each other into a battle of the wills. Weapons clashed and cries of pain mixed

together as the battle raged. While the battle was raging on, Shredder and Hun silently snuck into the room and

stood in front of Mikey and waited for the battle to cease.

One by one, the foot soldiers fell until there was none left. The brothers then turned and frowned when

they saw Hun and Shredder standing in front of Mikey. "Allow me to deal with these pests Master." said Hun

cracking his knuckles. "Pests! I'll show you pests!" said Raph charging Hun leaving Leo and Don to face

Shredder. "Don stay behind me." Don nodded. Leo raised his katanas and Shredder raised his claws. 

"You'll pay for what you did to Mikey!" Leo said, circling Shredder.

"You are a fool to come after your brother. What is so hard about watching a comrad die in battle. Especially

when they were worthless to begin with." Suddenly something deep inside of Leo snapped. He clenched his

katanas and charged with such speed that Shredder barely had enough time to defend himself. Leo kept

striking blow after blow and the sound of clashing metal echoed off the walls. By this time, Raph had easily

disposed of Hun and was standing next to Don. The two watched as Leo and Shredder continued their deadly

duel. Halfway through the fight, Leo sent a roundhouse kick into Shredder's stomach, sending him flying into the

wall. Shredder stood up and rubbed his head.

"Give it up Shredder. You can't win."

Shredder looked around and stopped when he saw Mikey. He smiled before moving so fast that it

caught the turtles off guard. He ran up to Mikey and raised is claws to Mikey's throat.

"Don't move...or your brother dies." All the turtles froze.

"Don't you dare touch him." said Leo, taking a step towards Shredder but stopped as Shredder pressed the

claws closer to Mikey's throat. "I'm the one in charge and I say throw down your weapons or he dies." The

turtles looked at each other. "What's it going to be? The weapons or your brother? Which is more important?"

The turtles sighed. They had to keep Mikey safe at any cost. They took one look at their weapons and

then threw them down on the gorund. Shredder smiled.

"Fools! You could have easily beaten me with the loss of one. Now I'll destroy you all starting with him!" The

Shredder raised his claws up high. "NO!!!!!!!!!" cried the turtles as Shredder brought down his claws.

To be continued...

Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"No!!!" cried the three brothers as they watched Shredder bring down his claws on their unconscious little brother. They all turned away as crimson blood went flying in the air. The turtles stood there in silence for a moment before Raph gathered up enough courage to look at the gruesome scene he knew he would find. When Raph got a good look at the scene, he gasped. Instead of the Shredder's claws embedded in Mikey's neck, they were embedded in Leo's left arm. Leo had taken the blow meant for Mikey by placing his arm around Mikey's head in a protective manner. Blood flowed from the wound and in one swift movement, Leo pulled the claws right out of his skin.

He didn't make a sound and with great composure stood up tall and faced the Shredder. As Raph stood there, he thought he saw something in the Shredder's eyes. Was it surprise? Shock? Or maybe something greater? Something like fear? There was an unnerving silence in the room until Leo spoke.

"Raph, you and Don get Mikey out of here." he said, without turning his back. Raph shook his head.

"No way! We ain't leaving without you!" he said, clenching his fists.

"Right now Mikey needs help! For once in your life would you please follow just one order." Raph turned back to look at Don and saw him nod his head. Raph sighed.

"Alright fearless leader, I'll do as you ask but you had better come out of this in one piece." he said, walking up behind him and gently taking Mikey from Leo's protective grasp. Leo looked at him and smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright. Besides, someone has to pay for what they did to Mikey." Leo said, pulling out his katana.(He only pulled out one because of his injury)

Raph stared at his older brother for a moment and then looked down at his littlist brother. Suddenly it dawned on him why Leo was so protective of Mikey. True he was protective of all of them but it was Mikey who always got the most protection. Mikey was the glue that held the family together, he was the light in the darknest night and without that light, the family would fall apart. Raph turned his attention back to Leo and watched as he turned to face Shredder. Raph sighed and started to make his way to the door. Don let Raph go before him and the two brothers made their way to the door. Raph let Don go first and before he left, he turned back to face Leo.

"You can do it bro. I have faith in you." he whispered. To show that he heard Raph, Leo nodded his head. As Raph turned to leave, Mikey started to move his head and mumble something. Raph bent his head down so he could hear what Mikey was saying.

"You can do it bro." Mikey mumbled before falling back into unconsciousness.

"You hear that bro. Mikey knows you can do it!" Raph cried to Leo. He then left the room and headed towards the battleshell.

When Leo heard Raph say those words, a smile appeared on his face. Mikey knew he could defeat the Shredder once and for all and nothing was going to stop him. He then turned to face Shredder.

"It seems that your family is going to be losing two members tonight." the Shredder said, wipin Leo's blood off his claws. Leo chuckled.

"Do not underestimate a warrior who has something to fight for." he said calmly. The Shredder growled.

"Foolish turtle! Do you think that one turtle alone can defeat me?!" he cried in rage.

"Who said I was alone?" said Leo looking over his shoulder. There standing behind him, was Mikey in spirit form.

(No Mikey isn't dead) He had a huge smile on his face and nodded his head. Leo smiled and returned the gesture. He then turned to face Shredder.

"This ends now reptile." he said, taking up a fighting pose.

"Yes it does." said Leo, also taking up his fighting pose. Lightning flashed in the background and the two warriors charged into combat.

Meanwhile, at the battleshell, Raph and Don were taking care of Mikey. They had made a bed as best as they could and layed Mikey on the floor. From there, Don started treating the most severe of Mikey's injuries. As he treated the unconscious turtle, Raph was looking at the storm clouds up above. The thunder hadn't started yet but the rain and lightning had begun. He looked in at Don and Mikey and he couldn't help but smile. These were his little brothers. The brainac and the jokester. True, they got on his nerves at times but hey, they were family. Aren't families supposed to drive each other crazy? As the thunder boomed, Raph turned his attention to the building where his older brother was fighting for his life. He knew that Leo had to do this on his own but he still felt bad about leaving him alone. Raph shook his head.

'No, no turtle is ever alone.' he thought to himself.

"Finished." said Don, hopping out of the battleshell and wiping the sweat from his brow.

"How is he?" asked Raph, peering in on his little brother.  
"The sooner we make it home the better." said Don, sitting on the edge of the battleshell.

Raph sighed and hopped inside. He took a seat next to Mikey and gently held his left hand.

"Don't worry Mikey. I'm right here. I'm right here."

As the battle between Leo and the Shredder raged on, it was obvious that Leo was losing this battle. Shredder was swinging his claws and forcing Leo back into a corner. The pain in his arm was starting to become unbearable and Leo didn't know how long he could hold out. Suddenly, the Shredder swiped Leo's katana out of his hand, sending it across the room. Leo gasped in surprise and tried to reach for his other katana. But before he could grab it, the Shredder made a swipe at him causing him to lose his balacne and go crashing into the wall. As Leo lay there dazed and confused, the Shredder stood over him like a lion to its prey.

"So long reptile." he said, raising his claws up. Leo's eyes blurred and he knew that the end was upon him. He watched as the Shredder brought down his claws and he closed his eyes.

Suddenly, Leo heard a whistle and he opend his eyes. He looked towards the source of the sound and saw his katana come flying towards him. Instinctivly, Leo reached out and grabbed it. In one swift movement, he dodged the Shredder's attack and stabbed him in the chest. The Shredder froze and Leo rolled out of the way. When he landed on his feet, Leo turned and faced Shredder. He noticed how still he had become and he took a step forward. As he did so, the Shredder fell over like a ton of bricks. Leo stood there for a moment in silence before spitting on the ground. He then turned to face his savior. He couldn't help but smile as he saw Mikey's spirit standing there.

"Thank you Mikey." Leo said bowing. Mikey shook his head.

"It is I who should be thanking you." he said softly. Leo looked at him confused.

"I'll explain everything when I wake up. Right now, I just need to get back to my body."

Leo nodded and watched as his brother's spirit disappeared into the wind. For a moment, Leo stood there enjoying the silence before heading towards the battleshell. When he made it, Don quickly rushed over to him and wrapped him in a warm embrace.

"You did it bro. I knew you could do it!" he sobbed happily.

Leo rubbed the top of his head and smiled.

"I had some help." Don looked up at him confused.

Leo looked into the shell and Mikey's sleping form and smiled. He gently pried himself from Don's embrace and took a seat next to Mikey. Leo looked down at Mikey for a moment before looking up at Raph. Raph stared at him for a moment before he smiled and nodded. Leo took that as a job well down and gently picked up Mikey's other hand. Don shut the battleshell's back doors and hopped into the drivers seat. He then pulled out and headed back to th sewer where they all would be a family once more.

Author's Note: In the next chapter, the danger might be passed but Mikey is still in a coma. Watch as the family remembers the times that Mikey had brought them joy and laughter. Will this be the thing Mikey needs to wake up? Or is he getting closer to Master Yoshi in heaven?


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_"Master Splinter, Master Splinter. Raph says that there are monsters in the closet." cried a five year old Mikey running over to Master Splinter, who was reading a book in the corner of the living room. Master Splinter looked up and smiled. He scooped the little turtle up in his arms and placed him on his lap. _

_"Raphael was just trying to scare you my son. There is nothing to be afraid of in the closet." Mikey looked up at him with wide bright eyes._

_"Really?" Master Splinter nodded._

_"Really." Mikey smiled and that caused Master Splinter to smile. As the two sat there in the lamp's light, Mikey couldn't help but smile._

_"What is so funny my son?" asked Master Splinter curious of what his youngest son was thinking of.  
"Well, if Raph says that there are monsters in the closet and he thinks I'm going to believe him, he's stupider than me." This comment caused Master Splinter to laugh out loud and pat his youngest on the back. _

_"I must admit my son, out of all your brothers, you are the one who knows how to get a chuckle out of this old rat." Mikey gave Master Splinter a huge grin.  
"What can I say, I'm just special like that."_

A loud crash of thunder snapped Master Splinter out of his dream filled slumber. He looked around the living room and realized that his sons had still not returned. He shook his head and stared down at a comic book that Mikey had carelessly left out in the training arena. Master Splinter shook his head. He couldn't understand what his youngest seen in these cartoon drawings of superheros and villians. From what Master Splinter understood, comics were all the rage above ground. Master Splinter smiled just thinking about his youngest son but soon frowned when he realized that his brothers had not come home with him yet. Master Splinter placed the comic book on the table beside him and slowly stood up. He grabbed his walking stick and made his way over to the lair's entrance. It had been over five hours since his sons had left to find their brother and it was starting to worry Master Splinter. Just as he was about to go in search of his sons, he heard a comotion outside. Hoping it was his sons returning, he quickly opened the door and waited for his sons to enter. Master Splinter was relieved when Donatello came walking in but was worried when Leonardo came walking in with his left arm all bandaged up.

"Leonardo what..." but before he could ask his oldest son what happened to his arm, Raph came walking into the room with a battered and bruised Mikey in his arms.  
"Michaelangelo!" he cried moving to Mikey's still form. Raph stopped in mid step and allowed Master Splinter to examine Mikey's injuries.

"Don's getting the lab ready" was all Raph said. Master Splinter looked up and noticed how defeated his son looked.  
"My son, you have managed to bring your brother home and yet you act as if you have lost him." Raph looked down at Master Splinter and tried to hide the fear in his voice.

"Don said that he wasn't sure if Mikey would survive the night." Master Splinter was caught off guard. He wasn't expecting things to be that bad. Before he could question his second oldest son, Donatello came running back into the living room.

"Raph, the lab is all set up. We need to get Mikey in there now!" Raph nodded and followed Don back into the lab leaving Master Splinter and Leo alone to their thoughts. As the door closed to the lab, Master Splinter turned to face Leo. It was then that he noticed how pale he had become.

"Leonardo what is the matter?" he asked placing a furry hand on Leo's shoulder. Leo remained silent and Master Splinter escorted him over to a chair. He motioned for him to sit in a beat up brown lazyboy recliner and Leo did as he was told. Master Splinter then went to the kitchen and made some tea. While he was waiting for the water to boil, Master Splinter kept peering into the living room to make sure that Leo hadn't disappeared to his room. He was relieved to see him sitting in the same chair that he was told to sit in. When the water was ready, Master Splinter placed two teabags and two cups on a tray and brought them into the living room. He set the tray down and began to pour the hot water. When the tea was ready, he offered Leo a cup.  
"Drink this my son. It will come your nerves." Leo looked at the glass suspiciously. Master Splinter chuckled.

"Do not worry. I didn't place anything in your tea." Leo looked at him for a moment before taking the glass out of the old rat's hands.

"Thank you sensei." he said bringing the cup to his lips and taking a sip. As he brought the cup down, Leo groaned in pain as his arm began to hurt. Master Splinter looked at him concerned.

"What happened to your arm?" he asked placing a paw on the wound and observing it. Leo sighed.

"Shredder took Mikey hostage. There was no way that I was going to let him hurt Mikey." Master Splinter nodded his head to show that he understood. Leo placed his head in his hands and began to sob.

"I can't believe that I let this happen to Mikey." he said. Master Splinter looked at him with understanding and sympathy.

"It is not your fault Leonardo. If anyone is to blame then it is the Shredder." Leo shook his head.  
"No! It's my fault. Mikey wasn't to keen about going topside and I should have listened to him." For once, Master Splinter was at a loss for words. It was hard watching his oldest son beat himself up about something that had happened with which no one had any control. Master Splinter remained silent and went back to his rocking chair. There the two remained in an uncomfortable silence. Three hours later, the lab door opened causing both Leo and Master Splinter to jump. Appearing from the doorway, was a very tired and exhausted Don and Raph. Don looked the worst because he had on a blood stained apron and gloves. Leo quickly jumped up and ran over to his two brothers.

"How's Mikey?" he asked grabbing Don's shoulders. Don gasped and looked away. Leo's concern grew worse.  
"Donnie..." Don slowly turned to face his older brother and avoided any and all eye contact.  
"I...did everything I could Leo but..."

"But what?" By now tears were starting to form in Don's eyes and Leo began to catch on.

"Is Mikey..."  
"No! He's not dead...it's just that..." Don hesitated.

"Just what?" Asked Leo gently squeezing Don's shoulders.

"Right now, I don't think he will make it through the night." Leo gasped and released Don from his grasp.

"Not make it...through the night?!" he said in disbelief. Don shook his head.

"The odds of him surviving are 1 to a million." Leo stared at him in shock. Master Splinter gasped and had to use a table to balance himself. Raph quickly moved to his father's side and helped him to steady. Leo just stared at Don for a moment before clenching his fist. Gathering up his strength, Leo stood up straight and started to make his way to the lab. No one tried to stop him because they knew it was pointless. As they watched Leo disppear into the lab, they all held their breath...hoping for a miracle because tonight...they were going to need it.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Hey there. Sorry about the wait and I hope chapter 9 was good. Sorry about the chapter mix up. Now, the memories and family scenes will be in chapter 10. I promise.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 pt 1

All around him, there was darkness. No matter where Mikey looked, the darkness looming around him like death. Mikey gulped and took a cautious step forward.

"Hello...is anybody out there?" he called, cupping his hands to his mouth. The only reply Mikey recieved was the sound of his own echo calling back to him. Sighing, Mikey sat down on a giant rock and placed his chin in his hands.

"Why is it that I'm always the one trapped in darkness? For once in my life, can't I get trapped somewhere with a bit more sunshine?" Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the middle of the room causing Mikey to scream outloud and go tumbling backwards behind the rock. When the light subsided, Mikey cautiously peeked around the rock and gasped at what he saw.

"No way. Who the shell are you?"

Meanwhile,back at the lair, Leo was scared. He was about to enter the lab and try to bring his little brother back from the verge of death. As he got closer to the table Mikey was lying on, Leo became more and more nervous. Never before had any of his brothers come this close to death. Sure, they got the occasional cut or bruise but now anything life threating. 'Leave it to Mikey to get the unlucky break.' Leo thought to himself. When Leo finally made it over to Mikey's bedside, it was then and there he realized just how fragile Mikey was. Mikey's head was carefully wrapped in a thick gauze as was his shoulder. He was hooked up to many different machines and the monitors beeped with every breath Mikey took. Taking a deep breath, Leo took a took a seat next to his little brother. There was an agonizing silence in the room and Leo was growing uncomfortable. He fidgited around in his seat before focusing on the task ahead. Taking Mikey's lifeless hand in his, Leo took a deep breath.

"Hey there Mikey..." Leo's voice cracked as his emotions took over and he had to clear his throat just to continue. Forcing a smile, Leo continued.

"Sorry about that. Guess I was just thinking of the past." Mikey didn't even move and Leo shook his head.  
"You always were the one who knew just what to say when any of us was feeling down." Leo smiled as a memory popped into his mind.  
"Do you remeber the time you lost your teddy bear and everybody helped you look for it..."

_Flashback_

_"Has anyone seen my teddy bear?" asked a four year old Mikey. His older brothers looked over at him and shook their heads._

_"Sorry bro. I haven't seen it." said Donnie working on a remote control car. Mikey looked over at his other two brothers who were playing a game of go fish at the kitchen table. Leo shook his head.  
"I haven't seen it since last night." Mikey sniffled and looked over at Raph who was trying desperatly to hide behind his cards. Everyone looked at him and he began to sink down into his seat._

_"Raph?" said Leo raising an eyebrow. Raph shook his head and slammed his cards down on the table._

_"How should I know where his stupid teddy bear is? It's not my fault he can't keep track of it." Mikey sniffled again and Donnie walked over to him and placed an arm around his shoulder._

_"Come on Mike. Let's go look for him." he said giving his younger brother a warm smile. Mikey instantly perked up and his eyes widened._

_"You mean it?" his eyes twinkling. Donnie nodded. Giving a cry of joy, Mikey hugged his brother and started to thank him.  
"Thank you Donnie! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he said jumping up and down. Donnie smiled at Mikey's actions and had to grab Mikey by the shoulders to calm him down._

_"Calm down Mikey. If you use all of your energy, you'll never be able to find you bear." Mikey stopped in mid jump and gave Donnie a funny look. _

_"But Master Splinter says that I have an endless supply of energy." Donnie laughed and Mikey looked even more confused.  
"What's so funny?" Donnie shook his head._

_"It's nothing. Now come on, let's go find that teddy bear." he said making his way towards their bedroom. Mikey was right at his heels and Leo and Raph watched them disappear. Once the two were out of earshot, Leo looked over at Raph who seemed to want to be anywhere but here.  
"What's wrong Raph? You're very quiet." Raph shrugged.  
"What? I can't be quiet for a few minutes?" Leo shook his head.  
"You know where the bear is. Don't you?" Raph glared at him for a moment before realizing that it was useless. Leaning back in his chair, Raph took a deep breath and spoke._

_"Remember when I accidently ripped Mikey's bear the other day?" Leo nodded._

_"Well...after I saw the look on his face...I felt so bad about it." _

_"And..." Raph took a deep breath and reached under the table. Leo heard the sound of duct tape ripping and he watched as Raph pulled Mikey's teddy bear out from underneath the table. The bear had duct tape hanging from its body where Raph had taped it under the table and it was looking pretty worn out but other than that, the bear looked fine. Leo studided the bear a moment before his eyes fell upon the stitch on the bear's left arm. _

_"You fixed the bear?" asked Leo in surprise. Raph nodded his head and threw the bear over at Leo. Leo caught the bear in one swift movement and watched as Raph stood up. _

_"Hey, where are you going?"_

_"To watch some tv. When Mikey shows up, you can give him the bear." said Raph walking over to the tv and flipping onto the couch. Leo watched him a moment before turning his attention to the bedroom where Donnie and Mikey were frantically looking. Sighing, Leo got up and made his way to the bedroom. When he entered the room, he had to duck out of the way of a flying toy car.  
"Woah!" he cried in surprise. Donnie and Mikey stopped in mid-throw and looked over at him._

_"Sorry Leo. I didn't know you were standing there." said Mikey sheepishly.  
"It's okay Mikey." said Leo smiling. Mikey returned the smile and then turned to look at Donnie.  
"Did you find him yet?" Donnie shook his head.  
"Not yet." Mikey looked distraught and Leo smiled.  
"Still looking for your bear?" Mikey nodded.  
"You bet I am." _

_"Well, look no further." said Leo pulling the bear from behind his back and holding it out in front of him. Mikey's eyes widened in surprise and before Leo knew it, he was on the ground being hugged by his littlest brother._

_"Thank you Leo. Thank you thank you thank you!" said Mikey burying his face in Leo's chest. Leo smiled and patted his baby brother on the shell.  
"No problem Mikey. Oh and by the way, be sure to thank Raph." Mikey looked up at him confused. Leo smiled._

_"Let's just say that he was the reason that I was able to give you your bear back." Mikey nodded his head and took the bear from Leo's grasp. As he went to walk out, he noticed the stitch on the bear's left arm. Mikey's eyes widened in surprise.  
"His arm...it's fixed." he said in disbelief. Leo nodded his head.  
"Thank Raph. He was the one who fixed it." _

_"Raph...fixed it?" said Mikey in total shock. Again, Leo nodded his head. Mikey looked down at the bear and then back up at Leo.  
"Thank you Leo." he said smiling. This time, it was Leo's turn to look confused._

_"For what?"_

_"For giving me my bear back." said Mikey giving Leo a hug. Leo smiled and hugged his little brother back._

_"You're welcome Mikey. You're welcome."_

_End Flashback_

Leo wiped a tear from his eye and smiled. That teddy bear had meant so much to Mikey just as Mikey meant to his family. Looking down at his little brother, Leo frowned. It seemed that Mikey was in some sort of nightmare and sweat beaded his forehead. Walking over to the sink, Leo pulled out a washcloth and turned on the water. Running the washcloth under the water, Leo rung it out and shut off the water. Walking back over to Mikey, Leo placed the washcloth on Mikey's forehead and pressed down lightly. As if feeling the cooling cloth, Mikey groaned in his sleep. Leo was instantly excited and leaned closer to Mikey.

"Mikey, can you hear me?" he asked excitedly. Mikey mumbled something and shook his head. Leo leaned closer to Mikey, to hear what he was saying.

"Please...don't kill me." Leo jerked back.  
'Please don't kill me?' he thought to himself. He looked down at Mikey again and tried to figure out why his brother was saying that.

**Back in Mikey's mind**

"Please don't kill me!" pleaded Mikey to the figure chasing after him. The figure gave no response and kept on chasing after him. Mikey shook his head. Running as fast as he could, Mikey kept running through the darkness. As he was running, he could hear the stranger getting closer and closer. Daring a peek, Mikey turned around to look at his pursuer. The darkness pretty much covered the stranger and Mikey couldn't tell who it was exactly. All he knew was that this guy wanted to kill him. Why else would he be carrying a scythe? As Mikey, looked at the stranger, a rock appeared out of nowhere and caused Mikey to trip. Mikey cried out in surprise amd went tumbling to the ground. The darkness swirled around him and Mikey sat up rubbing his head.  
"Oww. That hurt!" he said covering the side of his face with his hand. Suddenly, a shadow covered his view and Mikey looked up. He gasped when he saw the unknown figure standing over him with his scythe raised.  
"Please...don't do this?" pleaded Mikey. The stranger just stared at him for a moment and then...without warning, brought the scythe down.

To be continued...

A/N: I decided to make chapter 10 a two parter due to length. In chapter 10 pt 2 you will find out who the mystery man is and if the turtles get their happy endings. Final Chapter coming up soon!


	11. Chapter 10 pt 2

Chapter 10 pt 2

_"Please...don't do this!" pleaded Mikey. The stranger just stared at him for a moment and then...without warning, brought the scythe down. Mikey closed his eyes and waited for the final blow. However, the final blow never came and Mikey heard a thunk beside him. Slowly opening one eye, Mikey looked beside him and noticed the scythe embedded in the dark soil. Tilting his head in confusion, Mikey looked up at the mysterious stranger, who had his hands on his hips and a friendly smile on his face._

_"Hello there Mikey." Mikey's mouth dropped. _

_"How...how do you know my name?" he asked pointing at the stranger. The stranger shook his head and chuckled._

_"I know all about you Mikey. I know about your brothers, your master, and I even know about your human friends."  
"What are you? Some kind of psychic or something?" The stranger again shook his head._

_"No, I'm more like a guardian angel."_

_"Guardian angel?" said Mikey not sounding convinced. The stranger nodded._

_"That's right. My name is Sintaka and I am the reason you were able to return to the past and save your brother." Mikey's mouth dropped._

_"So you're the reason I was able to save Leo." Sintaka nodded._

_"When I saw you watching over your brother and I saw how upset you were about it, I just had to do something." he said sitting down next to Mikey. A frown slowly spread across Mikey's face and he brought his knees up to his chest._

_"Yeah well, when you're not exactly the best of anything, you have to make it up somehow." Sintaka raised an eyebrow._

_"Oh really?" Mikey nodded._

_"Throughout my life, I've come to realize that I have no special talents and I'm just a burden to everyone." Sintaka placed a comforting hand on Mikey's shoulder and smiled._

_"Mikey, there is something I want to show you." he said waving his other hand around in the air. Mikey watched in amazement as a crystal ball appeared in front of the two and as he peered into it, an image began to form.  
"Whoa, what is this thing?" he asked tapping the crystal ball with his finger. Sintaka smiled._

_"This is an Perspective Orb."_

_"Perspective Orb?"_

_"That's right. The Perspective Orb shows you what is going on around you when you are on the verge of death." Mikey's eyes widened in shock.  
"Verge of death? Are you saying that at any second now, I could die." Sintaka nodded grimly._

_"Unfortunalty yes but I am hoping that what you see in the Perspective Orb will give you the strength to fight death and conquer it." Mikey was silent for a moment before he slowly shook his head._

_"No, I doubt that little orb can show me something to live for. Besides, I'm sure the others won't care if I'm gone." he said placing his chin on his knees and staring at the orb with little interest. Sintaka shook his head and placed his palm on the Perspective Orb. Mikey watched in fasination as the orb glowed a dark blue and then changed into a violet purple. As Sintaka removed his palm, Mikey noticed an image as clear as daylight. It was a picture of Don's lab. All of his brothers, Master Splinter, April, and Casey were all surrounding someone lying on a cold metal table. Mikey squinted and gasped when he recognized the figure on the table._

_"Thats...me!" he cried in disbelief. Sintaka nodded.  
"I told you that the Perspective Orb shows you what is happening outside of your body." Mikey stared at him intrigued when he heard voices coming from the glowing orb. Turning back to the orb, Mikey realized that it was Raph who was speaking and he was kind of surprised when he saw Raph talking to him._

**Don's Lab**

"Mike... I hope that you can hear me." said Raph kneeling beside his little brother. You see, after Leo went in to talk to Mikey, Master Splinter thought that it would be a good idea if all of Mikey's family was with him in case he decided that it was his time to go. So naturally everyone crowded into the lab to see the person who had brought so much joy into their lives. Raph, seeing as how everyone looked so gloomy and giving up on Mikey, had had enough and decided that he would try to pull his little brother from the brink of death. Seeing as how Leo had failed to wake the youngest turtle up, Raph decided that he should take a crack at it. Feeling everyone's eyes on him, Raph cleared his throat and continued on.

"Anyway, as I was saying, Mikey I hope you can hear me 'cuz what I'm about to tell you is very important. _Leaning closer to the Perspective Orb, Mikey looked closely at the screen. _

_"Are those tears?" he asked to Sintaka pointing at the Orb. Sintaka simply nodded his head. Wanting to hear what Raph wanted to say, Mikey leaned closer and waited to see what would happen._

"Mikey...I know I've...been a little...harsh to ya in the past but that ain't no reason to want to go and die. You're my little brother and brothers are supposed to be harsh when they care." Feeling the tears in his eyes, Raph stopped and wiped them away. Everyone in the room was deathly quiet not wanting to disturb Raph.

_"Did Raph just say...that he cared about me?" Mikey asked looking at Sintaka in amazement and disbelief. Sintaka nodded his head and smiled._

_"I believe he just did." Mikey's mouth dropped but he quickly regained his composure.  
"Well, maybe that gives me a little incenstive to stay alive." Sintaka shook his head and turned his attention back to the orb. Mikey followed his lead and noticed that now Don was by his side._

_"Now this is gonna be good." he said giving a half smirk._

"Mikey...it's me, Don. Listen you have to pull through this. I mean you're my only little brother for crying out loud."

_Mikey slapped his head in disbelief._

_"I don't believe it! He wants me around just because I'm younger than him."_

_"Shh." said Sintaka glaring at him. Mikey muttered under his breath and returned his attention back to the glowing orb._

"Anyway...I guess that's not the real reason I want you to live." Taking Mikey's limp hand in his, Don continued.

"Mikey, I want you to live because without you we would fall apart. You're the glue that holds us together."

_"The glue that holds us together?" said Mikey repeating Don's words. Looking over at Sintaka, he tilted his head in confusion._

_"Umm should I be insulted by that?" Sintaka fell over in shock at that question. Quickly regaining his composure, Sintaka sat up straight and shook his head._

_"No you should not be insulted by that! What Don is trying to say is that without you the team would fall apart."_

_"Oh." Looking back at the orb, a sudden thought crossed Mikey's mind._

_"Hey Sintaka, do ya have any popcorn?" Again, Sintaka fell over in shock and this time he just laid there on the floor.  
"Next time I'll work with hamsters. They're less talkative."_

Meanwhile, Master Splinter had taken over Don's position and was holding Mikey's hand in his furry one.

"My son...there will come a time in life where your spirit leaves this world behind and goes to a better place..." The room fell into complete silence and Master Splinter knew that _everyone _was lisentining to what he had to say. Clearing his throat and wiping a quick tear away, Master Splinter continued.

"I just wanted you to know that this is not your time to leave this Earth. You have so much potential and hope to offer this world and your family. If not for me than please return...for your family." Apparently, those words were all April could handle and she ran out of the lab with her hands covering her face. Chasing after her, Casey left the family alone in a painful silence.

_Mikey stared at the orb in disbelief. He just heard Master Splinter say that he had so much potential. Master Splinter! Looking over at Sintaka, Mikey noticed him writing something down on a clip board._

_"Umm...what are you writing?" asked Mikey trying to peer over Sintaka's shoulder. Sintaka quickly flipped over the clipboard and looked up at Mikey with at half smile upon his face._

_"It's nothing but Mikey, I need you to do me a huge favor." Mikey tilted his head in confusion._

_"Favor?" Sintaka nodded. Mikey was silent a moment before giving a shrug and forcing a smile._

_"Okay, shoot."  
"I need you to hold up the Perspective Orb and hold it for ten seconds." Mikey gave him a skeptical look before sighing and picking up the orb in his right hand._

_"Okay, now what?" he asked after a moment of silence. Sintaka's eyes looked at the orb before a smile slowly spread across his face._

_"So Mikey, do you still feel worthless to your family?" Mikey gasped in surprise and quickly bowed his head._

_"Well...ummm..." Scratching the back of his head, Mikey looked back down at the orb and watched as his family begged for him to come back. Feeling a lump forming in the back of his throat, Mikey wiped a tear from his eye and gave a half smile. Looking back at Sintaka, Mikey nodded his head._

_"Yes...yes I want to go back." Sintaka smiled and nodded his head in acknowlagement._

_"That my friend...is the right choice." Walking over to Mikey, Sintaka took the Perspective Orb from Mikey's grasp and held it in front of him._

_"Alright Mikey, all you have to do is look into the orb and picture your family. Okay?" Mikey nodded his head and gently removed the orb from Sintaka's grasp._

_"Got it." he said nodding his head and turning his back on Sintaka._

_"There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like..." Stopping in mid-sentence, Mikey turned to look back at Sintaka who gave him a look of confusion.  
"What's wrong? Don't you want to go back?"_

_"Of course I do but before I go, I have to know something." Sintaka looked at him confused and Mikey continued._

_"If you're supposed to be my guardian angel than why do you carry such a scary looking scythe with ya?" he said pointing to the weapon attached to Sintaka's back. Sintaka looked back at the scythe and smiled._

_"Oh this thing? It's standard issue. Everyone who's everyone has one."  
"Well that makes sense...I think." Shaking his head, Mikey returned his attention back to the orb and closed his eyes. Images of his family entered his mind and a smile formed on Mikey's face.  
"Hold on guys, I'm coming. I'm coming." That was the last thought Mikey remembered before he was consumed in a bright light leaving Sintaka alone with a big smile on his face._

_"Good luck Mikey. Good luck."_

Mikey was confused. One minute he was standing beside Sintaka without a care in the world when all of a sudden, he was thrown into a body that was filled with pain. Letting out a groan, Mikey heard people surrounding him and he slowly opened one eye. There, he saw his three brothers and Master Splinter standing over him with looks of relief. Forcing a smile, Mikey spoke.

"Hey guys. How's it going?" Before he knew it, Mikey was enveloped in a giant group hug.

"He's alive!" cried Don happily.

"It's a miracle." said Raph.

"Great to have you back bro." said Leo whispering in Mikey's ear. Mikey turned around and smiled at his older brother.

"It's good to be back Leo. It's good to be back." he said slowly sitting up and wrapping Leo in a warm embrace. So the story comes to an end and one turtle realizes that no matter what he may think, his family loves him, no matter what.

The End


End file.
